The Fight for Paradise
by WritingwithGusto
Summary: (Sequel to 'The Search for Paradise') Yuri's past comes to him, and it comes back planning to bite him in the butt. Now, he'll be forced to choose between the life he lived, or the life he loves. (Rated T, as per usual.) (TEMPORARY HIATUS)
1. Chapter 1

My usual morning in the Great Valley is almost always the same. It would start with me waking up early, about the time that the Bright Circle first appears over the horizon (I've never needed much sleep), and then I had to sneak away from the family to train. No easy task the first few times, but after doing it for so long, I've made an art of it.

As soon as that was done, I would head down to the beach, and practice my martial arts techniques. I started off using what equated to a rough version of Taekwondo, but over the last three years, it became a style all its own (I'd been asked what it was called by one of my students, and since then, I've been calling it 'Arshavin-ryu'). It was still majorly focused on kicking, but it's all came a long way in many other fields.

After a few morning stretches (including a bridge, perfect split, and other such stretches), I began to practice such things as my tornado kick, jumping hook kick, guyver kick (one of my personal favorites, due to how tricky it is), kick-up, front flip, and backflip. And as soon as I had worked up a good sweat, I began to fish.

Breakfast was also a simple matter, as the fish have gotten none the wiser to the concept of fishing, and this beach was right next to a forest filled with delicious fruits and vegetables. The end result was usually the same, but it was always good…

"Well well, Yuri," I heard a familiar voice say, "I see I'm right on time." Turning around, I saw a familiar yellow Threehorn. My good friend, Cera. She had grown a lot since I came here, now standing about 6'8 in height (the exact same height as I now was). But other than that, not much had changed with her.

"You usually do," I said, getting up and doing a few quick stretches, "So, grappling?"

"Grappling."

Cera was my first student of my fighting style, and it was a bit of tradition for her to come down to the beach and spar with me. We would alternate between fistfighting and grappling, so that we could both improve constantly in both. But no matter how hard she tried, I was always one step ahead of her.

The match went as usual, or as expected. We went back and forth, both trying to catch the other, and trying to avoid being caught by the other. Cera had one advantage over me, and that was her massive strength. But massive strength or no, I was the more skilled of us, being able to get out of virtually anything she caught me in. It didn't matter if it was a joint lock, chokehold, or attempted submission, I could get out of it, and she knew it. But even so, we both gave our all in this match, just as we do in every match.

She had been able to catch me in a leg-lock, before I turned it around on her, and got back up to my feet. It was a simple matter to next avoid her attempt at a single leg takedown, and then I was able to catch her in an armbar (she still had trouble with those). She struggled a bit, before eventually tapping out.

"Damn," she said, as she did a quick kick-up to get back to her feet, "I have got to figure out how to beat that armbar." I chuckled at that before telling her, "You could always come to me for help. I do know submission defense, after all."

"Thanks, Yuri. But I kinda would rather figure it out by myself. I've done my time as a student, and I kinda wanna move forward on my own. Y'know?"

This was understandable, as I knew Cera was really proud. But I also knew she was a bit stubborn. And by a bit, I mean she was one of the most stubborn I've ever met. Literally, the only one I've met who was more stubborn was her father, Topps, but I still refuse to challenge that guy (mainly due to respect for him).

All I would offer this time was "Well alright. But you can still ask the others. I'm sure Littlefoot would be more than happy to help." And I put on a smirk, just to make sure she knew what I was implying. She just blushed before saying "Shut up."

I still find it hilarious that she hasn't gotten with Littlefoot yet. I knew she liked him, even before she 'confided' in me that she did, and when I asked her why she hasn't gone for it yet, the excuse she came up with was that 'She wasn't sure if he liked her back'. But I don't think it could be MORE obvious that he did.

"Well," I said, "This was fun, but I really ought'a get going. The day's about ready to start, so I got a lot of stuff to get done." And with that, I started on my walk back. Luckily, the Valley was not so far away, so I didn't have an excuse to take forever. And of course when I got there, I was greeted by my beloved Ali.

Just like me, Cera, and the rest of the group, Ali had done a considerable amount of growing in the past three years. She stood about 7'8, and her scales were a beautiful shade of purple (having gotten a bit deeper in the past few months), and had bright blue eyes, that were always excited to see me.

She walked over slowly, and pulled me into a hug, giving a simple "Good morning," before asking "How was it?" I shrugged, and told her "So-so. Cera's getting a lot better at grappling, though."

Ali gave a blank expression towards this. She knew about my 'Early morning sparring sessions' with Cera, but her opinion of it was more-or-less indifferent. She knew Cera and I were simply rivals in a sense, but there were still words like 'grappling' that she seemed to be a bit iffy about (not that I could blame her, considering a lot of my students are girls). But in the end, Ali knew I had eyes only for her.

"But other than that," I continued, "Nothing really new. But I do have to meet with Topps and Littlefoot. There's this big thing that Topps wanted to discuss with us, so I'll be there for a while."

"Do you know when you'll be back?"

I smiled, and told her "No, but when I do, we'll be able to spend time together."

She was obviously happy about this. Ever since I joined the Valley, I've been a busy man, teaching self-defense to the young dinosaurs in the Valley, and keeping it safe from the occasional Sharptooth attack. But of course, as Ali is my girlfriend, I always take a chunk out of my day to spend with her. We don't even do much when this happens, usually just cuddling up together under a tree, but quality time like that was something I always looked forward to.

"Well," she said, "I better head out too. I promised I'd meet Ruby to talk to her about something important. Once we get back, we meet under the normal spot, right?"

"Definitely."

And after sharing a quick kiss, we both headed out, with things on our to-do list. I took notice of the dinosaurs in the valley, taking small notes of what each and every one of them were doing. Some of the adults were out just enjoying the day, while some of the children were practicing Arshavin-ryu, and others among the children were playing games. It was a lovely sight to see them all happy.

Such is the life of Yuri Arshavin. The man who lives to see others happy.

* * *

 **Okay, so I might have been doing a bit of less-than-subtle foreshadowing with my little talk at the end of the last chapter of 'Troy'. But regardless, this is here now. I actually had plans to release this tomorrow, but I got it done in school (whenever I finish assignments early, I take out my laptop and write), and couldn't help but post it.**

 **I feel this chapter came out pretty okay, and I'm glad to have started writing for Yuri again, as he was a really fun character for me to be. And speaking of Yuri, I will say that this fic in actually very likely to be quite a bit longer than 'The Search for Paradise', and it's gonna be getting into some magic stuff. And by magic stuff, I mean that the portal stones from the original fic will be reappearing. I won't say when, where, or how, but I will say that they will cause something to happen that'll be important later.**

 **And I'll also say, that this new scheduling system of mine is already working wonders. I love it!**

 **And with that...**

 **Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Fair warning: This chapter is going to be a continuation on the previous one. It is nothing to do with action, but the action is coming soon (like a couple of chapters from now).**

* * *

I made my way out to Topps' nesting area, knowing it was barely five minutes away. He had insisted that we meet today to discuss something important, and considering the fact that it just so happened to coincide with the day Cera was going to be busy all day, I had a feeling I knew what it was.

I got there faster than I normally would, given that I knew Topps was a very punctual man (I mean, given that there are no clocks in this world, I could get away with being a few minutes late, but I don't want to). And when I did, I noticed that Littlefoot was standing there, sitting with his legs crossed, and looking to be waiting patiently for us to arrive.

Littlefoot himself was a very respectable 7'5 (still being shorter than most other longnecks his age), and had recently gained a scar on his side (he decided to help me in a Sharptooth fight, and that happened), but other than that, he was the same lovable longneck we all knew.

"Heya," I said, as he turned to face me, "So is Topps here yet?" All he did in response was shrug and tell me "I haven't seen him, but now I'm curious. What do you suppose he wanted to talk about?"

"I'm glad you asked."

We both turned around, seeing the man himself standing there. Topps had not changed a bit in the last three years, except for maybe getting a bit more muscular. But other than that, he was almost exactly the same.

"So," I said, "Are you going to tell us?"

"Of course. But first, I want to make this clear: This talk is for Littlefoot."

"Okay then," I told him, before a question popped into my head. "Wait… then why am I here?"

"You're here to make sure he doesn't dodge my questions."

Well, that made the situation abundantly clear. To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised this chat didn't come sooner, given how much Littlefoot's been around her.

"So," Topps started, "I notice you've been spending a lot of time around Cera lately. Even more so than usual."

"I swear nothing is going on between us," Littlefoot stuttered quickly, still afraid of Topp's wrath, even after all of these years. But of course, Topps simply told Littlefoot "Well, that's a bit disappointing. After all, Cera really seems to like you."

"S-she does?"

At this point, I was laughing my ass off internally. I've taught this Longneck how to kick ass, and he's used those skills to take on many Sharpteeth with me, and yet he's shy about his feelings toward the Threehorn he's known since he was a toddler. Now, the brotherly part of me wanted to help him get his stuff together…

But the evil part of me was enjoying watching him squirm.

Does that make me a horrible person?

Probably.

"Well," Topps continued, "I just figured I should let you know if you do decide to date her, you have my consent." And it was clear that Littlefoot was genuinely shocked by this. "You mean it?"

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't."

I could see the look of shock on his face, and it wasn't like I could hold it against him. As far as we both knew, we were talking to one of the most stubborn Threehorns in the Valley. In fact, for the first few weeks, I would have automatically assumed he wanted his daughter to be with a Threehorn.

Clearly that was not the case.

"So tell me," Topps said, "Let's say that you did like Cera. What exactly would be stopping you from attempting to court her?"

"Well… my main worry was that people in the Valley wouldn't approve of a Longneck and a Threehorn becoming a couple…"

And there was the answer. And it was an answer that was so stupid, it deserves a smack upside the head.

In fact…

"Hey Littlefoot," I looked over to him, "Do you think you could bring your head closer?" He complied almost immediately, lowering his neck, so his face would meet mine. And then…

*SMACK*

"OW," He exclaimed, rubbing his sore cheek, "What was that for?"

"I felt I needed to slap some sense into you," I told him, my tone serious and even, "Because that was the stupidest reason I've ever heard."

"Huh?"

"Littlefoot, your Grandparents, our friends, Topps, and virtually everyone else is completely okay with ME dating Ali, and I'm from a completely different world! I don't think they're going to have an issue with the Longneck who has saved their Valley on multiple occasions, along with helping members of the Valley multiple times over, dating a Threehorn with similar accolades. And plus, you've pretty much got her father's blessing, so what does it matter what the others think?"

…

"Wait a minute, Yuri…" said Littlefoot, "you're right!"

Damn right I'm right!

"Well," Topps said, "I'm glad to have helped you settle that. So what are you going to do now?" In response, he began to walk off, only saying "I'm gonna go do what I should have done a long time ago." And once he was finally out of range, me and Topps let out a sigh in unison.

"I never thought it would be to the point where we'd have to do that," I said, as Topps nodded in agreement.

"And I never thought I'd have to play 'Matchmaker', especially for someone who is obviously attracted to my daughter."

I couldn't help but agree with him there. The fact that we had to help Littlefoot realize something so blatantly obvious was a bit irritating (I mean come on, if it's enough to make me smack him upside the head, it's gotta be really dumb). But the end result was what was important…

And the end result was that Littlefoot was going to ask out Cera.

"Well," I said, "I'm glad that's finally done. So I guess I'll be heading out."

"Well thanks for helping," Topps said as I walked away, "I realize that probably wasn't the funnest way to start your morning…"

"Eh, I solved a problem. That's something."

We were both able to share a laugh at this.

"Well then, Yuri, I'll be seeing you later."

And with that, I headed out, deciding to do a bit of freerunning to get to where I wanted to go next. I began to run, jumping over rocks and front-flipping over the small rivers, and doing a bit of acrobatics when I came to anything else. And then, I came to the forest by the Thundering Falls. And there was Ali, patiently waiting for me.

"Heya," I said, bringing her focus to me, "I'm back." We quickly exchanged a hug, before she decided to ask what I had to meet Topps for. Not feeling like getting into the details, I just told her, "Just something involving Littlefoot and Cera. What'd you do?"

"Ruby told me Chomper asked her out."

Well then, we both had something that had to do with relationships. That's interesting, and we'd probably end up talking about it later. But for right now…

We had something we wanted to do.

We both sat down under our normal spot: A tree that I carved a heart into the bark of. And as soon as we were situated in its shade, I quickly snuggled up to her, as she embraced me as well. There was nothing more to it. There was no need to worry about anything, or waste any energy on other stuff.

We just sat down, and enjoyed being close to each other. We didn't need words, or anything else to express affection for each other. As we sat there, in each other's arms, there was nothing else to worry about…

Even as I let sleep take over.

* * *

 **So, I felt like putting up two chapters for this until the next time I begin writing for LBT, that way it wasn't just a single chapter for a full month. And this chapter just worked, because I had the idea in my head, and I feel it works greatly. I got to some good stuff, and got to add in parts of Yuri's personality that mirror my own.**

 **Along with that, I got to write a small fluff part, so I'm feeling pretty good about this chapter. So yea...**

 **Next time, something might be happening!**


	3. Chapter 3

The first sound I hear as I awaken is the sound of thunder. And if I know my stuff (and I do), then thunder automatically means rains coming.

Opening my eyes, my attention was immediately taken to the sky, which was very cloudy. A definite sign that rain was coming. But then again, that was no problem in my opinion. After all, storms were pretty much my natural element. Seriously, when I wasn't helping others in the valley or spending time with Ali, I could usually be found training during a rainstorm.

But that's beside the point.

As I was about to awaken, I found that Ali was still asleep. Now, under normal circumstances, I would have woke her up, but she was just so damn cute when she slept, that I can't help but let her enjoy the sleep.

After all, what's missing a little bit of training in the rain going to do?

The rain came only a few minutes after I made this decision, but it turns out it was barely a drizzle. And while that fact was disappointing, I could at least take solace in the fact that Ali didn't wake up, because I wanted her to enjoy it as much as possible.

It wasn't often that we got the chance to enjoy our alone time for more than an hour.

This time appeared to be an exception though, as it looks to be a little darker out than when we had first cuddled up. And then, something clicked in the back of my mind; it was raining, so Grandma and Grandpa are probably going to want us home (just in case it gets really bad). Meaning I was basically forced to wake her up.

' _Oh well,'_ I thought to myself, _'It was a good run while it lasted.'_ And then, I lightly poked her on the snout, and she immediately began to stir from her sleep (works every time). "What's up," she yawned, before I pointed up to the sky, and she realized what was going on.

"Believe me," I told her, "I don't like it either. But I know that Gran and Gramps are going to want us back should it get bad." And she knew I was right, so we both got up, and walked back to the nesting area.

Along the way, I found myself holding her hand, like I always do.

* * *

We made it back to the nesting area within only a few minutes, to find that Grandma and Grandpa were there, and waiting patiently for us. Still no sign of Littlefoot, but something tells me that was a good thing, and that he had actually told Cera he likes her. That's going to be a story to tell.

"Ah, Yuri, Ali," Grandma Longneck said, "I see you've returned." Grandpa Longneck joined in saying "Excellent timing too. The sky water is beginning to start."

Grandpa Longneck has payed attention to me over the years, and knows that humans get sick if they spend too long in the rain. He always worries for me, because he knows how upset Ali gets when I'm sick.

"I know," I tell him, knowing his reasoning, "You want me to go find Littlefoot?" He shook his head, and told me "Littlefoot came to us earlier. Said something about needing to talk to Cera about something."

And thus, my suspicions were confirmed.

"Well, when you see him," I said, "Can you tell him to meet me in the cave?" Grandpa nodded, and gave Ali one final peck on the cheek, before heading to the cave.

'The cave' was my little spot where I would go to relax. It was a cave behind the Thundering Falls (the same one where I first got the Valley Garb that Ali made for me), and was one of the most peaceful places in the Great Valley, at least in my opinion. And when I come here, I always find something interesting, like a rare stone, or something of that manner.

And it was of course a nice place to go to and enjoy some peace. But that kinda goes without saying, considering that it's my little safe haven.

* * *

As I made my way down to the cave, I felt like something was severely off, as I saw a faint green glow coming from inside the cave, and immediately got curious. Once I got into the cave, I saw nothing right off of the bat, but remembered that there is an opening that leads to a cave system... which just so happened to be where the glow was coming from.

Heading in deeper, I was lead through a cave system, feeling like I was on a wild goose chase. The light was getting slightly brighter with every step I took, and I could tell I was getting closer, but for all I know, this could be nothing at all. Yet, I feel curious, and strangely as if I've seen this light before somewhere...

When I finally made my way to where is was, the faint glow had pretty much become a blinding light, so I had to look away. Whatever the hell it was, it was bright, and my eyes couldn't take it.

And yet, I wanted to look at it... because it seemed so familiar...

After a while, the light had faded, and there, sleeping on the ground was a sight I hadn't seen in three long years...

Another human...

He was black, with very short hair (almost to the point of his head being shaved) and a goatee, as well as being very tall (6'5 if I had to guess), and having a decent physique (with very visible muscles). He was dressed in a black tank top and shorts, with handwraps and footwraps on. In fact, he looked like an MMA fighter to me (or at least what I remember MMA fighters looking like).

He opened his eyes, and slowly got off of the ground, before turning around, and his eyes locking with mine. I felt like I recognized him, and he reminded me of someone.

"Who are you," he asked, his voice calm, despite showing he was curious, "Where am I?" I could see in his eyes that he was confused, so I tried to explain it as simply as possible. He may not be as quick to adapt as I was.

"You're in the Great Valley," I said, "Or at least a cave behind a waterfall in the Valley." He then proceeded to look at me as if I had a second head, but I guess that's understandable. "I'm guessing you've never heard of such a place."

He nodded to this.

"And I'm guessing you found some crystal on the ground, and then blacked out before waking up here."

He nodded one more time, and I smile.

"Don't worry, stranger. I was in the same situation once upon a time. I'll help you get used to it." The guy smiled at me, and said "Thanks. What's your name?"

"Yuri Arshavin."

And this time, he looked at me as if I had just grown a second head right in front of him.

"Yuri," He said, his voice between surprised and excited, "So this is where you been for the past three years!? Ah, damn! That whole time I thought you were dead!" He came over, and got me into a headlock. Now it was my turn to be confused. Did this guy know me?

Searching through what memories I had left of my old life, I found myself looking through all of the people I knew, and one of the first things that came up was a friend I had who basically looked like a younger, less muscular version of this guy. And then, it hit me like a ton of bricks...

"Bruce?"

He then proceeded to give me a noogie, and then I was sure it was Bruce (I've been noogied by him enough times to recognize this situation). "Hell yeah," he said, "It's been forever, man." And then suddenly, he let go of me, and became serious, "But I don't have time to talk... I need to know what's going on."

It was only then that I realized I am going to have to explain all of this to him...

That's going to be fun.

* * *

 **So here is chapter three of this fic. And I realized that this scheduling system still has some kinks. But they are things that I can figure out how to work around (and already have an idea on how to do it).** **But that's all I can say towards that, and I will still be happy with myself if I can get at least a chapter of every of my three fics up per week, and maybe get another up by the end of the month.**

 **Anyway, now we see that things are moving quickly already. But that is still a good thing because it means that we are getting into the real plot soon enough. And if anyone is wondering about Bruce, he's not based on anyone I know. I just thought of the name Bruce, and the OC of Bruce was the first thing to come to my head.**

 **Anyway, until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, be honest with me. How many of you assumed I was dead?**

 **Heheh... but all jokes aside, I must say, it is good to be back to these stories.**

 **If you are wondering where I've been, I have had the most INTENSE writer's block for this chapter. I kid you not when I say it sometimes took me a whole day to come up with a few simple sentences (and yes, it's been the same for 'The Challenges Continue', which is why there is a distinct lack of updates to these stories). But it's not because this chapter was hard to make, it was because I just had so much else on my mind that I didn't even want to deal with it.**

 **But through a combination of a guest's consistent requests for an update, and finally being able to get my s**t together, I'm back.**

 **Fair Warning: This chapter is a bit longer than the last few. In the future, I will try for longer, more drawn-out chapters, to make it worth the wait, and to move the storyline along.**

 **Now, let's get on with it.**

* * *

 **(Yuri's POV)**

When the rain finally passed, I had one thing that I needed to do, and that was get Bruce well-acquainted to the Valley. The easy part is getting him out of the cave, and showing him the Valley. Up next came the difficult part of introducing him to everyone.

As I knew this Valley quite well, I knew that they knew of these kinds of things, thanks to having legends about it. That still didn't change the fact that it was going to be cause for excitement. So, at least for now, I'd have to wait for the right moment to introduce Bruce. But soon enough, he would be able to come out, and join the valley…

Provided that things go just right.

"So," Bruce asked, "You said you'd explain about this place. So tell me, what's up with it?" And of course, due to the fact that I have to keep my promises (one of those lessons that I knew by heart), I knew I was going to have to explain it to him. But, I was going to have to start slow.

"Well," I told my old friend, "To start, I'm sure you want to know how I got here." And when he nodded to that, and I continued. "Well, it was that day I said we were going to train at the… uh…" Oh damn! It's been so long since I thought of normal human stuff that I forgot the name of it. "The… um… gym! That was it!"

"Oh yea, our friends told me you went to the park before that," He responded almost immediately, "They also said you fought that one little bully." I shrugged at that, and said "Less 'fought', more 'humored him'."

We both got a good laugh out of that.

"But seriously," I told him, getting us back on topic. "I was annoyed after that, so I headed home, and found this strange gem, and said to myself that I wished I lived in a nicer place. Next thing I knew, I was here. And within a week of that, I was accepted into the Valley."

"Huh. So there are actual people here?"

"Yea, but they're not exactly…" And here comes the hard part of explaining it. "Mammalian…" Judging from the look on his face, Bruce didn't catch my drift, so I just left it as "You'll get it when we pass someone."

And it most definitely didn't take long for us to run into anyone. Within a few minutes, I saw a familiar Flyer, and knew that he was the easiest way to introduce Bruce to the concept. So, I called him over, and told Bruce to just watch from behind the tree.

"Yuri," Petrie said, his voice a bit rattled, "Littlefoot looking for you. He say battle about to start."

That got my attention. "A battle," I asked, "As in more Sharpteeth are trying to enter the Valley?" Petrie nodded quickly, and I wasted no time telling Petrie to head out to the battlefield (which he did). I had something important to explain.

"Dude," Bruce said, the shock evident in his voice, "Was that a goddamn lizard man!?" I looked over to my friend, and saw the shock clear on his face. A smile crawled onto my face, as I told him "More like a dinosaur. And that one was a Flyer, as they call themselves."

"A flyer... but wasn't he a Pterodactyl?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. I was so used to the valley names that the Scientific Names just sounded like gibberish to me. But that wasn't important. "I'll explain it later," I told him, "There's a battle going on, and they're gonna want me there. Follow if you want to. Either that, or stay in the cave."

So, I wasted not another second, and began to sprint towards the edge of the Valley, in the direction Petrie was headed.

* * *

 **(Bruce's POV)**

This was a lot to take in...

Not an hour ago, I was heading out, planning to go to the Gym, when I stumbled on that stone. Then, it just started to glow, and here I am...

And yet I'm not even sure this is all real...

Well, real or not, I was heading into the battle. He had told me that I could follow him to the battlefield, and I was already falling behind. How the hell was he this fast? I run 5 miles every morning, and yet he's still beating me effortlessly.

Granted, he was doing a lot of Parkour stuff, but even when he was just running straight, he was leaving me in the dust. In fact, when he just ran, I seemed to need to make up more ground.

Just what kinda training has he been through...?

"We're here," Yuri finally said, as I noticed the giant mountain range around the valley. Around one side, there was a hole, along with a group of other anthropomorphic Dinosaurs. Among them, I saw a Yellow Triceratops girl fighting off a set of small Velociraptors.

"You join in if you wanna," Yuri said, "I got some beasts to destroy." Without warning, he ripped a branch off a tree, fashioned a quick staff out of it, and headed down to the fight, swinging it like he was goddamn Sun Wukong.

I'm not sure how useful it'll be, but maybe I could use one to make a makeshift sword...

"AHH!"

My mind left that thought, as I heard the sound of screaming. Looking over, I saw what looked like a small Oviraptor, which was being approached by a Velociraptor. I wasn't sure why, but protective instinct kicked in, and I ran over to punch the creature.

I was only stopped by a Blue T-Rex coming in, and protecting the Oviraptor. This surprised me, because from what Yuri told me, Sharpteeth were supposed to be the enemy.

"You there," I yelled, "Get away from her!" They both looked at me with a look of shock and confusion, before I heard Yuri yell at me.

"They're on our side," He said "Just focus on all the OTHER Sharpteeth."

"Yuri," I heard the Blue T-Rex say, "Who is this guy?" And I heard Yuri respond back with "I'll explain later. Let's just focus on the goal at hand." And without another word, the T-Rex nodded, and proceeded to punch a Velociraptor headed his way.

"Whoever you are," He said, "We could definitely use your help. You look like a fighter."

He wasn't wrong about that. I've been boxing for the past 3 years, so I definitely knew what I was doing. "Alright, I'll help," I told him, "Where do you want me?"

*SNARL!*

Looking behind me, I saw a Velociraptor heading my way, and preparing to slash at me. I ducked just in time to deliver a punch right to his gut, which brought him to the ground immediately.

Ok, never mind. I'll just go wherever there's a Velociraptor...

So, the next few minutes were pretty much nothing but endless punching, and breaking ribs. I wasn't sure why, but it took a lot more punches than I was used to, but that was probably just because I wasn't wearing my gloves.

But whatever. Results are results.

This kind of fighting went on for what felt like quite a while, but the sheer number of raptors coming our way was overwhelming. I was quickly running out of energy, and if this keeps up, I won't be able to…

' _No…'_ I told myself, _'That's quitter talk! You're no quitter!'_ I look over to my side, to see the Raptors were continuing to come, and it started to piss me off. I could literally FEEL my blood boil as I saw more approach, and it caused something inside me to snap.

It's time to kick some ass!

I dodged a strike from a nearby raptor, before delivering a punch of my own. This time, I could see it did some damage, because the creature clutched it's jaw in pain, before I delivered a knockout right hook. And when they saw that, they started to back down, like the cowards they are.

This battle will be over soon.

* * *

 **(Yuri's POV)**

The battle ended only a few minutes after that strike. Within only a few minutes of us appearing, the Sharpteeth were beaten so badly, that they had to retreat.

After that, Topps got a giant boulder, and we knew we'd have to cover the hole where they got in from. So, he and I got to work on covering the hole, and during that, he brought up what I'm certain everyone else was thinking:

"So who was that other human from before?"

Taking a deep breath, I told him "That was my friend Bruce. He came from the same place as me."

"Really," he questioned, "I thought you said everyone in that town hated you."

"I said mostly everyone… 'Mostly' being the key word."

"I see... so what's he doing here? Did he find a portal stone too?"

"That's what he told me."

Honestly, having to explain it this early on was not something I wanted to do (especially considering I have plans to continue my acrobatics training later), but I figure it was important that I tell him. Topps has been very good to me over the past three years, so I should be honest with him.

"Well, you don't sound too excited."

Upon hearing this from Topps, I sighed. It was true that I wasn't too excited for this, and there was a reason why.

"To be honest, I really am not," I told him, "I had put everything from my old life behind me when I joined the Valley. I never thought that something like this could happen, and as such, I pushed everyone I knew from my old life outta my head."

"I see… and that's what worries you?"

"Not just that. You see, there's something very… dark inside Bruce, and it has me worried."

Topps nodded, seeming unfazed by what I just told him, as we set the boulder in place.

"Well," he said, "I'm sure you know my standpoint on letting in another human. I don't know if it's too good an idea, but he did help us fight off the Sharpteeth."

"We'll have to wait and see if he's changed for better or worse. Either way, he's here now and there's nothing we can do about it."

And we both knew this was the truth, and it only helped to get me a little bit pissed off.

Over the past three years, I had shoved everything from my old life out of my mind, and didn't even want to go back after all that's happened. Now, it seemed that a part of my old life had found its way to me. It was ironic really, and it made me a little angry, but also made me laugh a little.

"I guess it's my job to show him around," I said with a chuckle. Topps nodded to this, before saying "Make sure he understands the rules."

"I will."

And with that, we both left the area.

I was unsure what in the hell Topps was doing, but I knew for a fact that I needed to find Bruce. That was what is important here. But if I remember him like I think I do, he'll probably have made it halfway across the valley by now.

Oh well… I guess I had better get to work then.


	5. Chapter 5

**So, I'm a little burned out this week, but I was able to come up with this at the very least. It's just a small little chapter that I decided to write for fun.**

 **Anyways, answering reviews:**

 **Guest: Thanks. I wasn't bothered by the updates, and if I came off as that, I apologize. But I am glad to be back.**

 **Santoand: Thanks. Also, glad someone got the reference.**

* * *

 **(Ali's POV)**

It's not too often that Sharpteeth attack.

I stayed back, as many of the males went forward to fight. I wanted to join in the battle, but I knew I would be fairly out of place. I could fight, but there were many fighters better than me nowadays.

But that's okay, considering it means that the Valley is safe almost all the time.

Here I was, sitting by the Thundering Falls, doing a thing that Yuri taught me. What did he call it? Meditation?

Yea, that sounds about right.

I was just sitting there, taking in the sound of the waterfall, just waiting for any of my friends or family to show up. It was a bit boring, but I could at least see how he found this calming. As I listened to the falls, my senses seemed to perk, hearing things that I normally wouldn't pay attention to.

I could hear the wind and the bugs around me, and it felt strangely relaxing to just listen in on the world around me…

…

What was that?

I heard footsteps behind me, and they seemed unfamiliar.

There was something about these footsteps that sounded kind of weird. They didn't sound heavy enough to be a Dinosaur, but it was not light enough to be Yuri's footprints. This caught my attention, and broke my focus. I opened my eyes, and saw something that shocked me.

It was another human.

This one had very dark skin, looking like nothing I had ever seen before. He was shorter than Yuri, that much I could tell already, and his garbs were weird, looking pure black, instead of the normal reddish of our Valley Garbs. But the thing that caught my attention was that he looked confused.

Maybe he is taking in the fact that he's in our world now.

He looked over to me, and then jogged over right as I stood up. I was ready to say hello, but he beat me to it, asking me "Hey have you seen Yuri anywhere?"

To be honest, that caught me off guard. Another human in the Valley, and he knows Yuri? I had to know.

"Who are you," I asked him, to which he replied "I'm Bruce Jacobs. Yuri said he'd show me around. You know him?"

I was a little worried about telling him too much, so I just said "Yes, of course I do. Everyone in the Valley knows him." Bruce just looked at me, and asked "You see where he went?"

"Right behind you."

Both of us turned back, and a smile came to my face as I saw Yuri standing there. It looked to me that he just got back, and I could tell he didn't get any new scars here. That's a good sign.

"Good to see you've met each other," Yuri said, "This spares me the need for a major introduction." He walked over between us, and said "Ali, this is Bruce. Bruce, this is Ali."

"Nice to meet you," I said, extending my hand for a handshake. He accepted, but he looked hesitant for a moment. It was like he was worried I'd do something bad.

"This is all new to me," he said, "I've never met a dinosaur before."

"Oh don't worry man," I heard Yuri say, "It's not that different from talking to a Human." He seemed to talk really casual to Bruce. He must have known him back where he came from.

"So, what happened at the battle," I asked Yuri. I really didn't have much reason to worry though, since he's fine, but I still wanted to know. His response was almost immediate: "We were done in only a few minutes, and like every time before, those Biters turned and ran."

"So, I take it that it was an easy battle?"

"Oh no doubt. The cleanup afterwards was harder than that battle."

That was good to hear. We have had a lot of tough battles in the past, so it is good to know that things have lightened a bit.

"Anyways," Yuri continued, "I just stopped by to say hi. I have to show Bruce around the Valley."

"Well, alright. I'll see you when you get back?"

"Definitely."

I leaned down, my neck lowering to reach his face, as we exchanged a kiss, before saying "I'll see you later."

And with that, I headed out.

* * *

 **(Yuri's POV)**

As Ali left, I had a smile on my face.

But now that she was out of sight, I knew I had to show Bruce around the Valley. When I turned around to begin this little journey, I saw him look at me in shock. When I asked him what was up, his answer got me:

"What the hell was that!? You just kissed that thing?"

I was shocked to hear this, but I kept my cool, and said, "First, that's not a 'thing'. Second, yes I kissed her. She's my girlfriend, so of course I would."

"Your girlfriend? When did that happen?"

I shrugged, and told him "About a week after I came here, really."

"A week? How the hell do you end up with a girl after one week?"

"Well, to be honest, it just sort of sparked. We spent a lot of time near each other, and I found my mind drifting to her every now and then. The rest is history."

Bruce seemed to smirk at that. "That's just like you," he said, a hit of smugness in his tone, "You move to a new place, and you go after the nearest thing in a skirt."

"Hey!"

He jumped as I said that, and I found myself having to contain my annoyance. I could not believe he was bringing that up now. "We do not speak of that bitch," I told him, my tone letting away that I was mad, "Don't even think I'm that same guy from back then."

"Yeesh, I'm sorry man," He said, his hands raised in defense, "I didn't mean to offend. It's just a little weird. I mean, she's a reptile, man."

"Doesn't matter to me," I tell him almost immediately, my voice calm again, "Other than the scaley skin, long neck, and tail, she's pretty much human. She's really nice, and always up for an adventure, no matter what."

"Really?"

I nodded, a slight smile coming to my face, "Being with a Dino Girl is not that different from being with a regular girl. The only real difference I can think of is that Dino Girls actually appreciate you."

That got a laugh out of Bruce.

"Goddamn, man," he said through his chuckles, "It sounds like this girl treats you right."

"Trust me, man. It's not too different to date a Dino. You should see about finding a girl."

"Eh, I don't know man."

I let out a slight sigh, before Bruce asked "So, I guess you still need to show me around the Valley then?" I looked over to him as he said this, and nodded. "Let's get a move on," I told him, "You're going to want to pay attention. This is a big Valley, and we have a lot to go over."

* * *

The next hour or two was spent with me just guiding Bruce around the Valley. It was a very large place, and as such, it could be hard to navigate from time to time. But even so, we made it through quickly, just going over the landmarks, and some of the areas that he would need to know.

As I was showing him to all the watering holes and training areas, we passed by Littlefoot. At that very moment, he was practicing his grappling with Cera. I could tell the two of them were doing it for training purposes, but at the same time, I could tell something else.

As Cera went for a Double Leg takedown, Littlefoot dodged it, before catching her with his variation of the armbar. She fell flat on her stomach, with Littlefoot holding down her arm. However, I could tell he was not going full-force with the technique, since even I could barely handle that at full force.

He was actually relenting a little, and I was pretty sure I knew why.

My reasoning was confirmed a moment later when I saw something amazing. Cera pushed off the ground with her hand, and then turned quickly on her other arm, somehow throwing Littlefoot up with it, and then slamming his back into the ground. The sheer amount of force caused Littlefoot to let go, and Cera to get back up, ready to go again.

In a way, Littlefoot just helped her learn what she needed to know.

"Whoa," I heard Bruce say, "That was beast! How'd she do that?"

This caught both of their attention, as they looked over to me and Bruce, before I decided to point out "Nice technique. Seems you know you can muscle out of that armbar." Cera got a bit of a smirk on her face upon hearing that one. "Looks like I know how to get past that one now."

I would be damned if I let her see it, but that had me worried. Even though I beat her in skill, she's a lot stronger than me physically. If she figures that one out, I am officially a bit terrified.

But, then I remembered that is not why I'm here.

"So," I asked, "I guess introductions are in order?"


End file.
